allyouneedislove1797's ThreeShot Challenge!
by A Reviewing Reader
Summary: Okay, a jumble of things that have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other, but it includes MickxJoy, Jara, and one angsty, and fashionable Amber. Sorry I'm so late, Love! I'm probably not in the standings anymore, but just PM so I know how I did!
1. One Conversation Discussed Over Bagels

I FINALLY GOT THIS IN! Jeez, I am SUCH a procrastinator...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HOUSE OF ANUBIS.

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><p>One Simple Conversation Discussed Over Bagels and Coffee<p>

**Joy's POV**

When I went downstairs in the morning, I saw Mara and Jerome snogging at the foot of the stairs. What a lovely sight to wake up to when one is single; seeing a couple head-over-heels for each other, bragging about how much happiness they had while everyone else was sad and alone.

Jerome's arms were around Mara's shoulders, holding her tightly, and anyone could tell that he took her by surprise. The science book in her hand clattered to the floor as Mara tangled her fingers in his blonde hair, her lips curling into a smile.

The front door opened, but the snogging couple did not care, and seemed to hold each other even tighter. I backed away from them, towards the front door to go out on the porch and get some fresh air when I bumped into Mick, who had come back from his early morning run.

He stood as as still as a stone, a statue frozen in the center of the hall, his eyes fixated on the two in front of him. Mick's jaw had been set, as if he was grinding his teeth. I would not have blamed him, seeing his ex with the guy he hated the most would frustrate any person.

Mara and Jerome finally pulled apart, gazing at each other with so much love I wanted to vomit. They gave each other one more peck before moving toward the kitchen, not noticing me or Mick at all. Of course they would be oblivious to everyone but each other.

I put a hand on Mick's shoulder, and he seemed to relax a bit from my touch. In the corner of my eye, I saw his hands clench into fists: he was losing his temper. It was easy to see that he wanted to run into the room and punch Jerome in the jaw. There was no legitimate reason really, it was only because he had kissed Mara; which meant that he still loved his ex-girlfriend.

"Mick," I whispered to him. "C'mon, let's go out for brunch before you go in there and kill Jerome."

His eyes were still locked at the place where he had seen them snogging, probably trying to absorb the fact that Mara was not with him any more. He could not stay mad at Jerome for being with her for long, as long as she was happy, he should be happy.

"Mick. C'mon," I coaxed.

He nodded, and, through clenched teeth, said, "I'll go get cleaned up before we leave. Tell Truds we will be gone for breakfast." And then he trudged to his room, slamming the door closed.

I walked into the kitchen, finding Trudy cooking scrambled eggs. She smiled when she saw me, saying, "Breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes. I just have to finish cooking the sausages."

"Uh, no, Trudy. Me and Mick are going to go to that café a couple miles away from school for brunch. Is that okay?" I asked.

"Sure, that's fine. Just make sure you're back soon, I don't want you out _too_ late."

"We won't be out too late. Thanks, Trudy!" I walked back to the hallway and went to sign me and Mick out. Once that was done, I sat on the bottom step of the staircase, waiting for Mick and playing with a lock of my hair.

As I waited, I played with a thread on my light gray jacket. Then, I straightened my white shirt, brushing off some pieces of lint left on it from the dryer. _What is taking so long?_ I asked myself.

I went up to Mick and Fabian's door and knocked. When no answer came, I yelled, "Mick! What is taking so long?"

Suddenly, he opened the door and I stumbled forward, into Mick. He grasped my shoulders, holding me up, and chuckled. "Nice going, Mercer. Since when did you become such a klutz?"

I gave him a look, removed his hands from my shoulders and said, "Since I left, Campbell." Though I tried to look serious, I could not keep a tiny smile from my face.

"Oh yeah. Where _did_ you go, anyways?"

I remembered Mick did not really know about the society and the mystery, just the barest details that made a little bit of sense. I decided to just ignore the question.

"Um, er, let's just go. I'll hail a taxi." I rushed out the door, hailed a taxi which took us to the café.

At a coffee shop a few miles from school, Mick Campbell and I sat, sipping coffee and making light conversation.

"Are you hungry?" asked Mick, taking one last drink of his black coffee.

"Mick, you're always hungry!" I said, laughing.

"That is very true, Miss Mercer. But seriously, are you hungry? I'll pay." He stood up, grabbing his coffee cup to throw away. I stood up with him and got out my wallet.

"I am a bit hungry, and but I will pay for myself. Thank you anyways."

Together, we walked to the counter and chose what to order. We both decided on bagels to eat. All that was left was to figure out what type of cream cheese to buy.

"That onion spread is gross. I tried it once, on a dare, and it was disgusting. Tasted like dirt." I laughed out loud. People turned to stare at me weirdly.

I ignored the looks and continued talking to Mick about all of the choices we had. I pointed out two that were my all-time favorites.

"My favorites are strawberry and regular cream cheese. What about you?"

Mick smiled. "Those are my favorites, too. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah. That's interesting." My stomach started to rumble and I half-laughed. "Sorry!"

He just chuckled and said we should order. I agreed, and we ordered for our food and paid. Then, we sat down at our table from before and began to eat. We fell into a nice, comfortable silence.

Once I finished my food, I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. I turned to the window, letting myself stare into space.

"It hurts, you know." Mick's voice snapped me out of my reverie. I looked at his current position: his empty plate had a few crumbs left on it, a silver knife still slathered with cream cheese. His eyes were down, his chin propped in one hand, the other hand tapping softly on the table.

Our eyes locked, and the same sadness I felt was reflected there. He continued, "First, I lose Mara, to Jerome Clark" -he spoke Jerome's name in a voice full of disdain- "and then, Amber, my first love, to Alife Lewis." He said Alfie's voice as if in shock, like he could not believe he lost his first love to an amateur prankster.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know how you feel. Nina took Fabian away. But I don't want to step in and break them up, they look and seem so happy." I turned my gaze toward the floor, blinking away the sudden teardrops in the corner of my eyes.

"Joy-" Mick started. I interrupted him,

"No! Please, let me finish. I can't' break them up. I want him to be happy, but if I take her away . . ." I took a breath. "As long as he is happy, I don't care who he is with."

"Well, since we're both the only loners in the house, maybe we can hang out together to avoid seeing everyone snogging every day."

I smiled. "I'd like that."

Maybe Mick and I will become close friends after hanging out together. Maybe that will turn into more. Maybe we'll get back with our exes after school ends. No one knows.

I reached across the table, grasping his hand and squeezed it gently. He beamed at me in reply. All I know is that I will never know until I try, so why not?

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><p>Hope you liked it! I personally thought it was decent... but I'd prefer a few second, or third, opinions! (:<p>

I love this couple. Not many are out there, and since these guys are the loners (Patricia apparently starts dating a new character) of the house, it makes sense for them to get together.

Please R&R!  
>~Ary<p> 


	2. A Small Ball of Fur

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. House of Anubis. Still...

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><p>A Small Ball of Fur<p>

Mara Jaffray peered into the shop window, seeing a nicely carpeted room full of kittens. On one side, there were a few beds with kittens sleeping; the opposite side held two big litter boxes, each filled with heaps of litter; one corner held a few dishes of water and food; and in the center, there was a huge checkered rug, littered with kittens playing.

One of the kittens hobbled over to the window on wobbly legs; it was so young it still needed to remember how to walk. It looked at Mara with it's big green eyes, as if wondering why she was not inside of the room playing with them.

Mara smiled at the little kitten. It was extremely cute, very small and fluffy. She wanted to scoop up the kitten into her arms and pet its soft black fur, cuddling with it and hearing the soft purr in her ear.

Instead of walking into the pet shop and buying the kitten, she walked right past the entrance, heading toward a coffee shop nearby.

Mara went up to the corner, ordered a muffin and a latte, and sat down in a booth near a big window overlooking a lovely park that many New Yorkers did not know about. The coffee shop was in a small remote town, with a few basic shops, such as clothing boutiques, a drugstore, a supermarket, and, as Mara just saw, a pet store.

She was studying abroad in America because she had received a scholarship to become an engineer in New York: one of her lifelong dreams. Another great thing about living in New York was that her boyfriend of three years, Jerome Clarke, lived in Brooklyn, which was close to her apartment in Manhattan, so they could see each other daily.

Speaking of Jerome Clarke, he was supposed to meet her at the coffee shop. She tapped her nails on the table, propping a head in her hand. She glanced at her phone that rested next to her elbow, seeing that he was ten minutes late.

Mara groaned, thinking, _I'll give him ten more minutes._

As soon as that time had passed, she picked up her phone and dialed his number. Several rings later, Jerome's voicemail rang in her ear.

"Jerome!" she complained, glaring at the phone.

"Yes?" he said from behind her.

"Wh-?" She spun around in her chair. Mara smiled, stood up and threw her arms around him.

"Were you waiting too long for me?" he asked in her ear.

Mara pulled away to look into his bright blue eyes. "No." She pressed her lips together, a habit she always did when she was lying through her teeth.

"Mara," Jerome started. They both sat down and Jerome leaned forward looking at her straight on. "I can always tell when you're lying."

His girlfriend cocked her head to the side. "What? I'm not, uh, lying."

Jerome arched an eyebrow. He took his phone from his back pocket, looked at the screen's message that read, _One Missed Call_. "Then explain this call from you five minutes ago."

Mara sighed and bowed her head forward. "You're right. You were ten minutes late, so I wanted to see what you were."

"I was just searching through a mall to figure out what to get you."

Mara looked at Jerome. "I am so sorry I didn't trust you. I just- I'm punctual and-."

Jerome stopped her from rambling, "It's alright. If you were late, and I know you would never be late, I would be worried, too." He took her hand from across the table, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you, Jerome. And you know, you don't have to get me anything."

"But I want to. What would you like?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "I don't want anything!"

"Oh come on. I want to get you something. Can you at least give me a hint? What's your favorite animal?"

"Cats are my favorite animals. I had one when I was younger. Her name was Lucy. And she ran away when I was eight, and I haven't seen her since." Mara's lip trembled, remembering the depressing memory.

"I'm sorry, Mara." She met her boyfriend's loving, caring gaze. He really cared so much for her and hated when she was upset.

"You are such a great boyfriend." She leaned forward, planting a light kiss on his lips. "Enough about that. So, do you want to order something?"

"Sure, what do you recommend?" Jerome inquired.

Then, Mara launched into a babbling fit about the food she most loved at this coffee shop. All the while not knowing Jerome had the perfect present for his beloved girlfriend.

Mara awoke to the sound of a doorbell ringing. The two large windows that lit her room let in huge shafts of light, illuminating her face and giving her dark hair a golden brown look. Her eyes fluttered open, hearing the bell ring again

Groaning as she got up, Mara grumbled, in a hoarse voice, "Hold on, I'm coming." She pulled on a robe over her pajamas, slid her feet into a pair of blue, fluffy slippers and trudged over to the door.

She pulled the door open, only to reveal a well-groomed and wide-awake Jerome. He was grinning widely at her, holding a bouquet of white wild daisies, her favorite flowers.

"Hello, gorgeous. Happy twentieth birthday." He presented the flowers to her, and pecked her on the cheek.

"Wh-what are you doing hear?" Mara mumbled groggily. "It's seven in the morning on a Saturday."

"Well, I wanted to surprise you early in the morning! I wanted to be the first person you saw." He beamed at her, ruffling her messy bed head.

She smiled sleepily at him, touching his hand that was tangled in her hair. "Let me go get ready, and then we can have breakfast."

"Why don't we go out to eat? It would make your birthday even better."

"That'd be great. I'll be back in a few minutes." Mara strode over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

First, she took a shower, erasing the sleepiness from her face. Once she was clean, Mara wrapped a warm blue towel around her body, and bundled her hair into a towel. Then, Mara brushed her teeth, moisturized her face, and rubbed lotion on her arms and legs. After that, Mara dressed in a pretty blue blouse and a white flowing skirt.

Then, she blow-dried her hair, and after it was dry, curled it into long ringlets. She added her usual subtle makeup, adding a bit more mascara to make her eyes look bigger and then smeared some strawberry lip gloss over her mouth. _Perfect_, Mara mouthed to her reflection.

She examined herself in the mirror and decided her outfit was definitely not finished. Mara replaced her original thought of wearing white sandals and switched them with her favorite white slingback wedges, grabbed a white knit purse, and put on a pair of blue dangling earrings.

Mara gave herself a last check before walking out to meet her boyfriend. He was sitting on her black leather couch, watching a soccer game on the large flat-screen TV in her living room.

When he turned, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You clean up well," Jerome choked out.

Mara giggled, strutting in her three-inch wedges towards Jerome. She placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Shall we go?"

"Yes. Let's, er, go." Jerome stood up, putting a hand on Mara's waist and guiding her to the door. He opened the door, allowing his girlfriend to go through, to which she said, "Why thank you!"

He took her to a small breakfast restaurant, where they ordered a plate of bacon, eggs, and waffles-which they both shared. Each having their fill, Jerome paid for the meal regardless of Mara's objections.

Then, Jerome led her out the door, back to her apartment, and turned her around to face him, and locked eyes with her. He spoke one sentence, "Do you trust me?"

At first, Mara was taken aback by this question. "Wh- Of course I do."

"Good. Now close your eyes."

Mara gave him a puzzled look, but obeyed the order anyways. She felt Jerome take her hand and lead her inside. He sat her down on the couch, and said, "Wait here."

"Okay. But you know I don't like surprises, Jerome."

Mara had _always_ hated surprises. Mainly because her older brother used to do it all the time. The worst time was when her brother had given her a box with a supposed "scarf" which had actually been a rubber snake; snakes were Mara's biggest fear. Even though it had only been rubber, it had still scared her silly. From then on, Mara hated any surprise, all thanks to her brother.

"Mara, I have your present. Can you take off your blindfold now?" Jerome's voice echoed through the room. It came from the doorway, and a soft kitten's meow followed Jerome's voice.

Could it be? Did he really have a kitten with him? As quick as a whip, Mara snatched off her blindfold, spinning and staring at her boyfriend.

Her theory was correct. In Jerome's arms, the adorable black kitten that Mara had seen the day before in the pet shop was staring at her with it's gorgeous green eyes. A big purple bow was tied around its neck; it was obvious that the _kitten_ was her present.

"Jerome! Oh my gosh, how did you know- I mean, how did you-?" Mara stuttered out, gathering the kitten into her arms. Instantly, the little black ball of fur cradled in her arms began to purr, vibrating her entire body and making her smile lovingly at the little kitten.

"You told me that you used to have a cat, and when I was walking you out of the restaurant, you peered longingly at the pet shop window, with all of the cats inside, and I just knew you wanted one. This one reminded me of you."

"Oh my- Jerome, I-" Mara could not say anything to really explain how much joy she was feeling. "Thank you so much. I love-"

"Her. The kitten is a girl." Jerome smiled.

"She's perfect," Mara cooed. She put her head on Jerome's shoulder, smiling at the bundle of fur in her arms.

"What are you going to name her?"

Mara tore her eyes away from the kitten beneath her, lifted her head from her boyfriend's shoulder, and locked eyes with Jerome.

"Lucy."

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><p>Done!<p>

Well, I'm pretty satisfied with the end of this. I am a total Jara fan, even though other stories of mine don't say that. But, I love these two together, more than Joy and Mick together, even!

So please review! Tell me if anything is right, wrong, anything. If you liked it, hated it, tell me!  
>~Ary<p> 


	3. No More Brace Face!

Sadly... Number three of Love's Three Shot Challenge! Sigh... Well, this one is a personal favorite because it was the easiest to write, and it is easily relatable.

Disclaimer: Again, don't own HoA. -_-

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><p>No More "Brace Face"!<p>

Amber Millington had worn braces for two years, and had always been made fun of. Everyone called her "Brace Face" or "Metal Mouth", any sort of assortment of those names. And Amber hated it. She absolutely hated being called names.

So the day before Amber was going to get her braces off, she was so exited that the blonde could hardly sleep. She was thrilled to see her beautiful smile after all of these years.

The procedure to remove the wires from her mouth was a lot easier than putting the metal pieces in her mouth, and barely hurt at all.

When she looked in the mirror, Amber was dazzled by her brilliant smile. Her teeth were fairly white, perfectly straight, and beautiful. An absolutely gorgeous smile.

_I might have to get Daddy to get me whitening for my teeth, to get that bright white smile that Victoria Beckham has_, Amber thought to herself.

Finally, she could begin her transformation from silly nerd girl to glamorous runway model. Starting with her gross hair.

Even though Amber had not always been the beautifully stunning girl that she was in the present, she still knew all about fashion. So as soon as the news was out that Amber's braces were coming off, she knew she needed to make a plan to become a beauty queen.

The moment that she was out of the doctor's office, Amber's plan was set into action. She ran to the car and requested that her chauffeur, Markus, drive her to the nearest beauty salon where she would meet her mother to fix her hair and nails.

"Of course," he said, and drove Amber to the salon. There, she straightened her naturally wavy hair and then added blonde extensions until her shorter locks of hair grew out.

"Mummy, could I get french tips?" Amber asked, looking at her mother pleadingly.

Mrs. Millington, dressed in a chic navy blue suit, only peered at her young daughter and nodded. She continued to talk into the phone that was pressed to her ear.

"Yay!" Amber squealed. She told the manicurist to add french tips to her nails, which the manicurist gladly said yes to.

After that, both female Millingtons walked toward a few of the most fashionable stores in the shopping center. Buying several new shirts and skirts for Amber, they headed to the next store.

The process continued until Amber had an entirely new wardrobe with fabulous shoes, jewelry and handbags.

Finally, new glamorous-runway-model Amber had been created. The first day of school, everyone's heads turned to find a beautiful girl that no one recognized as Amber Millington.

Whispers of, "Who _is_ that?", "She is so pretty!", "Oh my gosh, where on earth did she get that outfit?" and other formations of those sentences.

Amber grinned even whiter, showing off her shiny white teeth even more. As she strutted in her cute black flats through the hallways in her short grey, pleated skirt, one thought popped in her mind as she flashed one last smile to everyone before walking into her first class,

_Good bye, Brace Face; hello Prom Queen Millington!_

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><p>Okay... Finally. Done.<p>

If you read the small A/N at the top, you can probably guess that I had a set of braces because I said this one-shot was relatable. And yes, it's true! They are now off! Yay!

I did not have a beauty queen plan like Amber, however, but still, this was the first idea that popped into my head when I thought of the third part of this challenge. And who was the first character to be getting the braces off? Yes, Miss Amber Millington.

The reason I chose her was because I can imagine her switching from a girl with braces with a bit of low self-esteem into a glamorous diva with a bunch of self-confidence.

Wow, I just realized how short this one-shot is... just a little over 500 words... This is crazy short! Sorry Love, I suppose this is more of a drabble now, since it is so short.

Anyways, hope you guys like this! Review please!  
>~Ary<p>

PS:  
>Should I discontinue "Only A Dream?" and restart it? I feel like I should take it off, hash out the whole story into an outline, and then write it from there... I suppose it's because I'm losing my muse. So please review and tell me if I should or should not! Or PM me, whichever is easier!<p> 


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